


Southern Boundaries

by lcbacteria



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: F/M, Hospitals, John Doe - Freeform, Nurse - Freeform, Spidey Sense, U.S. Navy SEALs, navy seal tattoo
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-21
Updated: 2018-03-19
Packaged: 2019-03-22 00:44:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,712
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13752672
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lcbacteria/pseuds/lcbacteria
Summary: What would it take for a nurse and a patient to become close?  Close enough to cross boundaries.  It would take love and faith.  Here is our story.





	1. Chapter 1

What would it take for a nurse and a patient to become close? Close enough to cross boundaries. It would take love and faith. Here is our story.  
Why did I agree to work an extra shift when I’m already tired? This is going through my head as I hit snooze on my phone alarm. Oh yeah, bills to pay and George my cat is a demanding little snot about certain kind of food. So I’m trying to drift back off to sleep when the stupid snooze goes off again. My best friend, Jess has threatened to get me an alarm that goes off and rolls around on the floor and you have to catch the stupid thing to turn the alarm off. Uh huh, we’ll see how long that would last. George just might push it down the stairs and sit there with his look of what, it wasn’t me.  
A little about me, my name is Rey and I am an early 20s female, red headed with all the attributes that go with red hair. My career choice is registered nurse. I work in a metropolitan hospital in their ICU. I live in the Southern states and enjoy it until it is allergy season. My parents and grandparents are deceased. I have a half brother that can be an idiot. We don’t talk often, for more than one reason. My best friend Jess is also a RN who works with me. Jess and I share a house, it is her dad and step moms gift to her and she is golden to share with me. Let me not forget George who would scratch me alive if he thought I left him out of the introductions.  
So, again why did I agree to work? Sigh. My boss is a great friend and confidant that I have a hard time telling no to. So I should get up and stop delaying, knowing good and well the later I leave the worse the traffic will be.  
Well, I clock in 2 minutes late and I’m out of breath as I walked fast from my car. I put stuff in my locker and get my supplies for the shift. I go in the unit and see my assignment and realize I am on the code team with no assigned patients. Oh boy, this means I will respond to any emergencies called in the hospital. Well at least I get to eat breakfast. Meals and potty breaks can be few and far between when you are a nurse but especially when you are in the ICU.  
A few student nurses I have precepted have been given my advice of many topics. What sets an ICU nurse apart from other nurses is the ability to catch changes in your patient conditions before they get worse and develop more complications. I see my shift is going to be good when I see my coworkers, they are what make or break your shift. Every nurse has different strengths and you learn what you can ask help with and get no stress about the help.  
So, after eating and potty break I go back in the nurses station and look around. What strikes me first is several of the staff are standing around one of the tv’s in an empty patient room. The news reports a police chase near our hospital. As more details come in, we find out the police have shot two people, one who was shooting at them and the second person is a bystander. Kate, my charge nurse lets me know to get ready, when they bring those patients in our ER will go into lockdown to prevent anyone else to come in and try to retaliate for the shootings. Yes, our job as nurses and doctors can be stressful and dangerous.  
The ER nurse calls to give me report on my patient. I will be getting the bystander. Male with no identification on him. He is in surgery now and will then come to ICU. I finish report and go to get the patient room ready for the admission, I want all the supplies to be at bedside to keep things flowing smoothly. As I finish this up I hear the announcement on the overhead paging system, there is a patient on the telemetry unit that needs to be assessed.  
As I go down the hall I see one of the staff nurses pushing the code cart to the room, oh man, lets see what we have. As I walk in the room, my first thought is who is sicker, the patient in the bed or the family member at bedside. The family member appears to be having an anxiety attack. The patient in the bed is trying to talk to her daughter and calm her down. So I ask the primary nurse what is going on. The patient has a blood sugar of 30. Now, first thing, if her sugar is that low, she would be symptomatic, she appears to be fully alert and oriented. When I ask where did the sample come from for the blood sugar test, I feel the patients hands that are cold. So really this is an inaccurate reading. So I tell the nurse to check the sugar by using the lancet on the ear lobe. Within 10 seconds the blood sugar is 110. All her vitals are stable. The attending physician agrees the patient should be stable to stay where she is and not necessary to transfer to icu. Pheww, I’m glad that was easy enough to settle. So, the daughter realizes her mom is okay and starts to calm down. I make sure the bedside nurse is secure with her patient and I return to the ICU to prepare for my John Doe patient. One of many fires to put out today I’m sure.  
So I return to the breakroom in the unit and drink some water. I then hear my name and that my admission is here. So me and Jan, my good friend go into the room and transfer the patient to the hospital bed. My first thought is wow, this guy is tall! My dad was 6 foot 6 and I appreciate a tall man. So he has an abdominal dressing from the surgery and we connect our monitors and see his vital signs. No fever and blood pressure is stable. As we turn him to get the old sheets out from under him I notice a large tattoo on his upper back. This tattoo is an eagle, an anchor, trident and a pistol. I have Jan look at it too, we’re not sure the significance. I make a mental note to Google this later. So we get him settled and begin his plan of care. As I do my head to toe assessment I notice how distinct the features on this guy are, dark hair, a few scattered moles on his face, tall as all get out, no piercings, no other tattoos, no jewelry, his clothes and shoes are in the corner. As I always care for my patients, I say a prayer for God to heal him if it is His will and guide the nurses and doctors to give him the best care possible. I wonder to myself, who is this man and how long will it take police and hospital to identify him. Surely, somewhere there is a mom, dad, sibling or significant other who is missing him.


	2. Serenity needed STAT

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Serenity Prayer: God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference.

Chapter Two  
Compassion for patients is a gift from God. Fruit of the Holy Spirit are nine attributes of a person: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. For me kindness, goodness and gentleness help me be the best nurse for my patients. I have worked with nurses who are there with spirit and those who think it is all about the paycheck. It doesn’t take long for you to recognize which is which. My personal dedication is fueled by the need for anyone who needs medical care to be able to receive it.  
I am taking care of John Doe and assessing his post-op condition at the bedside. As I review his information in the computer in his room, labs and x-ray results, I begin to paint a picture in my head of what care he will need from me. I look at the H&P, dictated by the ED physician. It is noted what I was told in report, unidentified bystander during a police involved shooting of one other person.   
I wonder why the police were involved with the other person. Jan comes back in the room and asks if I need help with anything. Jan shares what the charge nurse told her before she leaves. No definite motive for the violence, several lap-tops in her car and external hard drives in the trunk. She was brought to our ED and after the staff worked extensively to resuscitate her, they were unsuccessful. She was pronounced dead. Her sister was notified and when she came to the ED she was crying. Deceased female is Paige. Rose, her only family, told the ED nurse that Paige had been in the Navy a few years back but was discharged earlier this year. Her sister was notorious for any get rich quick scheme.   
The only police officer shot was examined and released home, his bullet proof vest saved his life. I am left with the thought, how our lifestyle choices affect those around us. I close my eyes and say a prayer for all involved.   
John’s pulse rate is increasing with loud alarm from the bedside monitor. I notice his pulse rate has gone from the 80s to the 120s. He appears to be in pain as his face is grimaced and head moving about. I talk to him as I step to his bedside. John, don’t even think about doing anything funky with your heart rate. He awakens and wild eyed he focuses on my face and asks his location. Asking location doesn’t sound like every day lingo, I’m wondering what his background is. I tell him he was shot, which hospital and he is in ICU after surgery. I ask his name, birthdate or today’s date. His pulse rate is slowing down to the 80s and he appears to be relaxing some. He is breathing without distress and denies pain. No pain makes me wonder does he still have some of the pain meds in his system from surgery. Post-op patients almost always have pain or some discomfort, depending on how involved the procedure was. He seems to be puzzled over my questions and tells me he can’t remember anything. Oh boy, this is going to get more complicated than I first thought. He takes a deep breath and tells me none of that sounds familiar. Why did you call me John. I explain he is John Doe until we learn his true identity. He really puzzles me when his reply is, does anyone ever know another person completely. My Spidey sense is activated with his behavior.   
My Spidey sense is something I have always had that is intuition, wisdom and experience. I usually know the first time I meet someone what type of person they are. Some may call me judgmental but it is something that has proven true more times than not. I can tell a lot by a person by the way they treat the waitress and housekeeper. If a person talks down to someone in a different role than they have, caution should be used as to their motives and methods. Also, I look at someone’s teeth and their shoes. That tells a lot about their financial status, personal pride in their appearance or just someone who appreciates quality. If any of these first impressions give me red flags for caution, I proceed carefully.  
I remember his drug screen and alcohol levels were negative in the ED. It can get so tedious dealing with a patient who is withdrawing from drugs or alcohol and trying to keep them safe as well as those around them.   
As I sigh, John looks at me and asks me if I’m okay? I give him that nurse smile of all is peachy and tell him I just want to take care of him and help him heal. As I turn away from his bed his pulse rate increases again, I turn around to reassure him. When I hold his hand, a feeling comes over me and I feel hyperaware of him and all else around me is muted. Both of us are shocked. I have never felt this way before and I’m scared of this. I release his hand and the feeling goes away. He asks me if I felt that and I said yes. Looking close at me he asks me how George is. Huh?! I didn’t tell him about my cat. Now I do like to share stories of my opinionated feline when the time is appropriate. I haven’t shared any stories with him. I take a step back from the bed. I calmly walk (outwardly appearing to stay calm) to the door and (mentally yell) for Jan. As she comes in she meets my eyes and I give her the look of it’s gonna be a long shift! Nurses have a silent way of talking to one another, just with eyes and mannerisms. I update her on his condition, leaving out the feeling. I tell her I need a bathroom break. She will keep an eye on him until I get back. Jan looks puzzled at the both of us. Hmm, I need a break. As I leave the room, I softly recite the serenity prayer.  
In the restroom, I am hiding, taking a mini vacation. I’m trying to process what just happened with John. That hyperaware feeling had never happened before in my life. John mentioned George, how does he know my memories? Creepy much? Definitely! I slow my thoughts down and remember what I “saw” when we touched.   
His memory must have just happened before he was brought to the hospital. I see him on the sidewalk, watching a car driving slowly. This car looks suspicious with lots of body damage. The driver is Paige acting skittish. The car pulled into a vacant lot. Paige hands him a laptop, calls him Ben and said the “extra storage” is in the trunk. The external hard drives hold top secret information that he needs. As she goes to open the trunk, several city police cars surround them and the crap hits the fan. Paige is scared now and pulls out her handgun. The police tell her to drop her weapon, she doesn’t. She yells at Ben how they were able to find us! Both are deep undercover and local police were not aware due to the sensitivity of the operation. The police shouldn’t even be there, both concerned who tipped them off. This operation is a result of some changes that occurred in their SEAL team. She will not be arrested, she refuses to go back to the treatment facility. She raises her gun, police fire and just before she is hit she gets off a few rounds. Ben ducks behind the car and strangely thinks it will look a whole lot worse with all the bullet holes. Ben feels warm and wet on his stomach; he looks down and sees blood seeping through his shirt. There is no pain; he hasn’t felt pain since he spent time in the treatment facility. One visit to that awful place was enough. Neither knew all of this was witnessed by Hux. Hux was a part of their SEAL team. Ben’s last thought before he is unconscious is why a simple gunshot made him pass out.   
His mom will be pissed he didn’t call and check in and Chewie will be missing him tonight. Luckily mom knows if she doesn’t hear from him in two days, to take his beloved dog to her house until he returns from his extended trip.   
Rey stares dumb founded in the mirror, well this changes several things!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Medical terminology:  
> H&P = history and physical  
> ED = emergency department  
> John Doe = name given to person with unknown identity


	3. Acceptance and tolerance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey's world is turned upside down and she finds out how it all started.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want to thank you for reading this, it is my first story. Feedback would be great. Knowing the story is being enjoyed by others will help keep me focused and share more. Today is my birthday, spent with family and we enjoyed good food. I wanted to share with you the next chapter.

Chapter Three  
Rey was in shock. Processing Ben’s memory created information overload. She didn't have any reason not to believe his memory; it was real to her. Ben and Paige are Navy SEALs. He is undercover and local police are unaware of his true identity, what would happen if they find out. What and where is the facility that must be really bad if you have two SEALs afraid to return. Geez louise! What had she gotten tangled in? The lap tops and hard drives had top secret information, who had access to those now. The three SEALs had different views that put them on separate paths. Hux used a sharp shooter rifle and the bullet was tainted with a sedative. His mom and dog are okay. Wait a minute...mom is familiar. Omg! His mom is Leia the famous actress who retired after her only child was born, not sure of the details about his father.   
Rey's head is spinning and feels weak. Kate knocks on the door with concern. Rey comes out and tells her she needs candy or something to give her strength. After a Snickers bar and a Coke, she is better. She returns to ICU and Jan is shaking her head with a deep sigh.   
Rey is fortunate she has only one patient, since he is so involved. Ben looks good, vital signs are stable and a big smile appears when she enters his room. He asks her for ice and juice. She explains he needs to start slow to prevent nausea and vomiting. His abdominal dressing is clean, dry and intact, no bleeding noted. He denies pain. She has never had a post op patient pain free and pleasant. Ben asks about George. He is a four year old gray and white stray cat that adopted her not the other way around. When she calls Ben's name aloud his smile fades. Rey explains that they have somehow exchanged memories. He is in danger and needs to remain John Doe. Hux could try to kill him again. Rey has a feeling the intent was to stop the information exchange not kill Ben. If Hux had meant for a kill shot, no sedative would’ve been used.  
They both decide she will keep his identity a secret for now. Rey share stories of George. The first time she saw George he was howling outside her house. Headed outside her intent was to make the animal leave. George peeps around the garage and gives Rey a pitiful meow. He was scrawny, hair matted and his tail looked like part of the hair was gone. Rey brought him a bowl of milk. He sniffed the milk and looked at her with a face that made Rey think, seriously lady, I hate milk! But a can of tuna, George devoured it like it was his last meal before execution or first meal in a long time. For the last three years he has slept in her bedroom closet with her shoes. Yes, with the shoes and would howl if she tried to keep the closet closed to keep him out. Rey smiled as Ben laughed quietly.   
He is drinking and eating without problems and gets out of bed to sit in the chair. Ben shares that he isn’t used to being still for very long. Rey was cautious when he first got of bed but he did fine, no dizziness. Rey leaves him watching TV.   
In the nurse’s station, Jan shares what happened while she was in the restroom. Ben asked for and was given water; he got a worried look on his face and wanted to know where his nurse was. Jan assured him she would be back soon. Jan said he then got a blank stare on his face and after a few seconds softly spoke someone needed to go check on Rey in the restroom. Alrighty then! That’s how Kate knew to check on her. Rey shared with her friend the vision. Jan is looking at Rey with doubt and concern.   
Rey observes his heart rate at the monitor at the nurse’s station and notices it is slowly increasing. When she enters his room he has the same blank stare she did a few minutes ago. As he faces clears, he asks her long her shift is. Rey wonders what his interest in her shift is but she notices his heart rate returns to normal when she is in the room. She needs to check his surgical dressing for any bleeding since he is so mobile now and immune to pain it seems. She gloves up and when she pulls his gown to the side, the dressing looks fine. He denies being tired and refuses to go back to bed. She didn’t argue and will monitor him closely.  
Ben shares with her the previous vision. After work tonight, she is attacked on the way to her car. Ben is worried about her safety. Rey is shaken and assures him she will have security walk out with her. He seems satisfied with her answer.   
Rey is so glad her shift is over; this had been a stressful day. At shift change Ben is nowhere to be found. How could he leave the ICU and not be seen! Rey begins to panic, where did he go and did someone hurt him. The next hour is spent dealing with her bosses, local police very interested in this missing patient and documentation of the missing John Doe. This looks really bad for Rey that she lost her patient. What if he was somewhere hurt or bleeding and couldn’t get any help.   
She thinks his vision didn’t prove true since she left work later than her usual clock out time. Rey slowly and sadly walks to her Gremlin. Before you ask, her Gremlin is a 1973 lime green sub compact car that is held together with duct tape, bondo and prayers. Her best guy friend is Finn; he is a mechanic who keeps her vehicle in running shape for her. Without Finn she would be using the public transportation system and that can be dangerous during the times she would be riding early and late nights.   
Her doors to the car don’t lock; she figured if anyone wanted it that bad they needed it worse than her. She looks in the windows before getting in, for safety and all is clear. Before she starts the car she closes her eyes for a quick prayer for safety for Ben. When she opens her eyes he is sitting next to her! Rey sucks her breath in so hard she chokes. He takes her phone apart and removes the battery; it is an old android but worked well for her needs. He notices her face getting irritated and he explains Hux can trace her phone to find them. It won’t take long before it is discovered they are together. With her second breath Ben remarks about the state of her car and lack of overall safety with an antiquated vehicle. She regains her breathing and thinking abilities. She is about to question his overall mental health for leaving the hospital the same day he had surgery. Ben calmly points to the keys and tells her it would be the best idea to begin driving before they are surrounded by Hux and his men within the next three minutes. As they leave the parking deck he is calm and asks her the top speed of her Gremlin. As she glances sideways at his profile he is calm, cool and collected. Her thoughts are like a gerbil in a wheel, there is so much to process. She is headed home and Ben tells her it needs to be a quick stop, they have to keep moving to stay ahead of Hux. He needs to tell her something and he decides it would be quicker if he touches her hand to share it. Without warning her, he touches her right hand and all around her, except Ben, is muted. This isn’t the best idea as she is in control of a moving vehicle in traffic. She briefly sees her photo that was taken at her pinning ceremony for her nursing graduation. Quickly removing his hand, they both come back to the present and only a second has passed. She is feeling weak again and is barely able to pull in a parking lot. They both realize every time they touch is takes energy that depletes the glucose in their bodies. He is afraid of their weakness. Rey tells him to check her work bag and she always keeps granola bars in case of an emergency. They share one and a bottle of juice that she keeps in her car. She keeps snacks in her car since she never knows when she may get stranded and Finn has to rescue her wherever the Gremlin has broken down. Rey worries that when they connect it will cause them to not notice any danger around them. She is going to need more than a granola bar. They decide on the drive thru of her favorite coffee house, Starwalker Grounds. After two chicken and spinach wraps with sweet tea they both feel clear headed. She is concerned with his abdominal dressing, he raises his shirt and his stomach is perfectly healed with a small silver scar. Immunity to pain and rapid healing are side effects of being in the facility. She is cautious not to touch his skin and create another vision.   
She informs Ben she cannot stay awake much longer as her twelve hour shift fatigue catches up to her. The best place for them to lay low is a condo his mom owns. After verbal directions, they quickly arrive. The Gremlin is hidden in a one car storage area adjacent to mom’s condo. Her car is conspicuous and it needs to be hidden. She notices security cameras at every angle. Who else has a condo here that needs this level of security. They go through several doors with separate pass codes. Finally they reach the condo. By this time, Rey is overwhelmed with the cloak and dagger situation she has been thrown into. She is angry about being taken away from her life. If she had known all this trouble would come up she would have enjoyed her day off. But oh no, she had to work and be a good little nurse. After a small pity party she finds Ben. She is able to use his computer and text Jess and let her know she won’t be home tonight and to feed George. His computer makes it look like it came from her phone. He has a lot of high tech computers, monitors and security feeds in one of the rooms.   
He decides honesty is best and not leave her in the dark about his whole situation. He has many things to share with her but the first is he knows her brother Chuck from the Navy. Of all the things she was worried to hear, that didn’t make the top twenty list of possible topics. Chuck is undercover with the same agenda as Ben and Paige. Rey sits down in the middle of the floor. With her hands over her face she asks him what this has to do with her. Chuck is older and from dad’s first marriage, Rey is from the second and last marriage. They weren’t raised together and never really close, more like distant cousins if anything. She starts to explain this when Ben stops her and tells her he knows all about her life. He stole her file from the facility. Her spidey sense has spiked and she is done with this conversation. She knows she is safe and doesn’t worry about staying with Ben. After a hot shower and the softest bed imaginable, she falls asleep and dreams of the beach. At the beach she always feels relaxed with no pressure to get anything done. Always able to just relax and enjoy God’s creations all around her.


End file.
